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I'm looking for all the hymnal players in the forums! (I would of posted this in the Classical thread, but I figured that it'd be more appropriate here)

I would like to ask, how did you get to where you are now regarding skill?

For instance, I'll play through a hymnal once or twice without a metronome and feel semi-good about it.Then I'll read the tempo markings indicated, set the tempo, and try again..

.. Except I fail miserably. It's just seems so fast.

I don't know what it is, but all the independent movements and voicings are just so difficult. I can't get it down.

I've played through many many hymnals this way, except I don't see that I'm not getting any better. All I really got better at is reading the bass clef because the LH stuff is what throws me off.

So in summary:- How did you get so good at playing hymnals at the appropriate speed?- How do you assess a song and sight read it?- Any special practice methods that would be good for aspiring hymnal players like me and others to know?

I respect pianists who can play hymnals at the appropriate speed. I wish I could do the same.I want to become a church pianist/organist someday, it'd really help to hear your input.Thanks for your time

Lots of hands-separately practice to really hear the different voices and solidify fingering, at slow tempo. Gradually bring up the tempo hands separately, no pedal. Then practice hands together. Play the scales and chord progressions in the keys of the hymns you are learning.

Interestingly enough, the last two times I was asked to play some hymns for something (a funeral and a wedding), the organizers had an 'accompanist' version of their regular hymnal. It was a little larger and was loose leaf.

The music was written like regular popular sheet music. Three staffs - the bottom 2 were a piano arrangement and the top one was the melody and chords. Since I am very comfortable with lead sheets, this was a very good thing and greatly lowered my stress level..

I wonder if other hymnal publishers have this type of version. I love it.

Instead of struggling against the metronome all by yourself, which is not working, try playing along with some audio of the hymns...audio of good professional church groups singing the hymn, with a strong rhythmic instrumental base.

While you should eventually be able to play SATB hymns, for many purposes it isn't necessary.

A lot of churches no longer have anybody who reads music or sings parts. So you can simplify, simplify, simplify until you're more comfortable.

I started by simplifying down to what I call guitar chords: just the I, IV, and V in close position. As I got comfortable with that i started making the chords more difficult, etc. There are a few hymns where the accompaniment is so familiar you can't get away from it - for example the bass line of Onward Christian Soldiers. Those you just have to learn.

I think (and this is just me, could be way off) that you are making a mistake by reading through a hymnal. Instead, pick a few common hymns, ones likely to be needed in each key, and learn them thoroughly. Memorize it and master it. That will give you many more memory patterns to retrieve when reading other hymns. Hymns in any given key tend to have the same fingering patterns. E.g. in D you will always play A-D in 1,5 followed by A-A in 1,5 followed by G-A etc. It doesn't do you as much good to practice sightreading those as it does to get them ingrained.

Hi--I love hymns. I agree, play slowly at first, hands separately if that helps. Write out the fingering. Concentrate on a few hymns at a time; maybe start with some easier ones. Here is a list by tune name in order of estimated difficulty from the National Federation of Music Clubs, Junior Festivals Bulletin, 1998-1999-2000:

There is a particular style of improvisation (closely related to early jazz stride) that church pianists have used on hymns for the past 100 years (as long as the piano has been in church). It is alternating between intervals and chords in the left hand and playing chord inversions in the right hand. It is fairly easy to learn but requires an understanding of what is happening in the underlying harmony.

There is a particular style of improvisation (closely related to early jazz stride) that church pianists have used on hymns for the past 100 years (as long as the piano has been in church). It is alternating between intervals and chords in the left hand and playing chord inversions in the right hand. It is fairly easy to learn but requires an understanding of what is happening in the underlying harmony.